Features no longer used in the Design of Modern Skins?
Saturday, March 26, 2011 by Redmage777 | Discussion: Skinning
Since I updated to Window Blinds 7, I've noticed that some feature are no longer used when making skins. Modern Skins seem to only change the appearance of the Windows interface, No more extra buttons or other functional differences that were commons several years ago. Very Few the even change Layout of skins. Basically, on your left Is the Icon and the Window Title, on the Right Minimize, Maximize and Close. (I suppose there are some Mac Styles that change it some.)
Too Classic examples that I still use today:
Pearlthane: Nice Clean White interface, Nothing too fancy. Center title, Thumbtack in left corner.
Mozilla XP: This one was also used the "Clean White" approach, Center Title, on the Left was a Roll-up Button and a Unique "Ghost" Button that turned the window transparent.
As I said, I still do use the skins, but they are beginning to show their age. Searching for newer skins hasn't help, (How does one effectively search for skins that have a Thumbtack button?)
If anybody can recommend a skin or two, Please do so. I'd love to have a Areo-style skin with the Thumbtack button.
Reply #2 Saturday, March 26, 2011 4:38 PM
Have you seen the WB7 Config / Settings Tab / (next) Settings Tab options? Down at the bottom of that popup window are global titlebar clicking options you can define for all skins, e.g. "Rollup/Down", "Set always on top". That ought to take care of the thumb-tacking.
edit: Guess we were both pretty much going the same place at the same time 
Reply #4 Sunday, March 27, 2011 2:48 PM
Anyone remember when Mercury and Lecrayon, treetog, klaatu berada, Russ and many others still here would place interactive buttons all over the skinned window so one could just click and go to a number of places right from the window frame interface? Places and links like winamp, wincustomize, etc, would sometimes be hidden in ivy growing on castle walls(Lecrayon), etc. and a hover would bring them up. Lecrayon did some wicked cursors, too...one was a grasshopper I wish I still had...
Am I doddering, yet? 
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Reply #1 Saturday, March 26, 2011 4:35 PM
I used to skin a roll-up button on my skins, but then Windowblinds 7 added the feature in the skin settings to add an action for double clicking and right clicking the title bar, which includes the ability to roll-up the window, so I quit skinning that since those who want the feature can add it, and those who don't won't have to remove it.